Felidae Behavior

21/08/2024

Discover the Power of Positive Reinforcement!

I’m thrilled to share that I’ve contributed to an insightful article on how positive reinforcement can help correct unwanted pet behaviors. Whether you're dealing with a mischievous kitty or an overexcited pup, understanding and using positive techniques can make a world of difference in building a strong, trust-based relationship with your furry friend.

Check out the article to learn more about how you can create a happier, stress-free environment for your pets!
https://petowner.io/qa/how-can-positive-reinforcement-help-correct-unwanted-pet-behavior/

New Q&A article featuring expert insights on Pet Owner: How Can Positive Reinforcement Help Correct Unwanted Pet Behavior?

14/08/2024

**New Blog Alert!**

With kitten season currently in full-swing in many parts of the US ,many people are bringing home a new kitten. It can be an exciting time, but it can also be a bit overwhelming for your new buddy. My latest blog post is here to help! Discover expert tips on helping your kitten settle into their new home, from creating a cozy safe space to understanding their behavior and building a strong bond.

Ready to make your kitten’s transition smooth and stress-free? Check out the full blog here: https://www.felidaebehavior.com/post/how-to-help-your-new-kitten-settle-into-their-new-home

Help your new kitten settle in with expert tips on creating a safe space, understanding behavior, and building a strong bond.

24/07/2024

House soiling is a very common issue that I work on with my clients. Sometimes the cases can be quite complicated! Other times, all it takes is a simple tweak in the litter box set up to get the cat using the box again.
In my current blog post, I've offered some simple tips to try (including a vet visit!) that could resolve the issue before reaching out to a behavior professional.

House soiling in cats isn't spiteful; it's often due to other issues. Ensure proper size, cleanliness, location, and access for a happy cat.

17/06/2024

Frankie helped me write my latest blog post, which is up now on my website, felidaebehavior.com.
It is a personal essay about adopting a shy cat and the process of getting her settled in my home.

02/04/2024

Even my hobbies include cats (and cat hair in my projects)! Lucy is the best company during ceramics class.
Any guesses as to what I'm making? Hint: it is an animal.

26/03/2024

I recently got to visit with my buddies Milton and Luna. It had been a little while since I'd seen them so it was fun to review their clicker training. Milton picked it back up, like he'd been practicing all along.
That's the beauty of clicker training! Once a cat knows a behavior, at most they might need a quick review.

26/02/2024

We all appreciate the opportunity to give consent with our bodily autonomy!
In Colombia, I've met (and tried to befriend) many kitties in the street. Diamond was hanging out in his window and when his family saw that I wanted to say 'hi', they brought him outside.
He is a young, intact male and his family said he gets quite aggressive with them.
I tried to tell them that it was OK if he didn't want to be carried out to meet me, but they went ahead and brought him out.
I first offered a finger to sniff and then gave him a snack. He decided I was OK and then was quite affectionate. He even gave me his foot to hold!
I let him lead the interaction and never forced him to be pet. In return, he was not even a little aggressive with me.
There is a lot more going on in his world (big dogs that constantly bark, being intact), but when an animal understands that his boundaries won't be crossed, it goes a long way to reduce stress, build confidence, and reduce the need for aggression as a form of defense.

15/01/2024

New blog post is up!

This month I'm discussing the benefits of water fountains for cats, how to choose the right one, and how to properly maintain them.

Just like we don't find stale water in dirty glasses very appealing, your cats also prefer clean, fresh sources of water.

Whether you provide water in a bowl or a fountain, it is important to rinse and refresh it daily and do a deep clean at least once a week!

It doesn't take a lot of time to give your fountain a thorough cleaning. Your cat will appreciate your efforts and your fountain will last longer!

Read the complete post here:

https://www.felidaebehavior.com/post/benefits-of-water-fountains-for-your-cat

Work with Heather Alvey, Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, to solve your cat behavior problems. Nationwide in the United States with remote cat behavior consults.

08/01/2024

I'm heartbroken to have to share the news that I Iost Boomer this weekend. Even though he was 17.5yr old, he was in good health. I thought we'd have a few more years together, but he took a very sudden turn and rapidly declined in just within a couple of days.

In fall of 2006, we found Boomer in the parking lot of a pumpkin farm in Northfield, MN. He was a tiny kitten and very very sick. With cold weather on the way, we didn't think he'd survive on his own. We scooped him up and brought him straight to the vet (without getting pumpkins). Then, the idea was to foster him and then find a good home for him. Of course, he was too sweet and we ended up keeping him.

I've met thousands of cats over the years and Boomer was by far the silliest, sweetest, weirdest, most handsome cat I've known.

He never met a box he didn't want to sit in. He learned to open the fridge, but then didn't know what to do once it was open. He was the King of Bleps, so much so that I included that detail in the tattoo I got of him. There are so many other quirks that he had, but overall he was just a really great cat.

This is the first time I am catless since 1995 and it is a strange feeling. I'm sure there will be more cats in my future, but I'm going to take some time to grieve and spend some time on my own.

14/12/2023

It is cozy season!

My latest blog post talks about the importance of offering heated beds for your cats.

https://www.felidaebehavior.com/blog

16/10/2023

Can you tell by looking at the faces of these cats, which ones are in pain?
On my latest blog post I talk about the Feline Grimace Scale, how it can help identify cats in pain, and why that's important.
I've included a photo of my own cat, Boomer, who has severe arthritis. If you reference the scale, you'll see his ears are held apart, his muzzle is tight, and his eyes are squinting. It is a marked difference from how he looked when he was younger. (Boomer is under treatment for the arthritis and I've made numerous environmental modifications for his comfort.)

02/10/2023

Let's talk about resources!
Cats, like only children, do not like to share (saying this as an only child).
When you have cats that are coexisting, but not really buddies, there is going to be some underlying tension between them.
One thing you can do to improve their relationship is take a look around at the things that are important to them and make sure they each have their own.
For some cats, the litter box is really important, while to others, it might be perching spots.
Making your cats feel like there is an abundance of the things that are important to them can go a long way to improving a tense relationship and lowering their daily stress-levels.

18/09/2023

I've needed a few days to pull myself together, but now I can share the news that Impy left us last week for the big half-pipe in the sky.
After showing up one day on our back porch, he was part of our family for 16yrs.
It is hard to convey everything that he meant to me in one post but here a few things I'll always remember:
He loved riding on his skateboard and even after he went blind, he enjoyed being pulled around on it.
He wasn't lap cat and hated being handled, but he loved spooning with me and we often fell asleep together with him as my little spoon.
He wasn't always the easiest of cats, but I think that was in large part because he was so much smarter than the rest of us.
Losing a pet is so painful, but it is a testament to just how much we love them. Our pets bring so much fullness to our lives and leave giant holes when they're gone.
There's definitely and Impy- shaped hole in my heart now.

17/07/2023

A while back I came across photos that artist, Sarah Neubert, posted of her woven mending. I loved that she had found such a beautiful way to repair her furniture instead of throwing it out after her cats had scratched the heck out of it.

When I saw that she was creating a tutorial to teach other people to mend their well-used furniture my first thought as a cat behavior consultant was that the weaving would probably be pretty attractive as a scratching surface. As a crafter I know how frustrated I'd be to put the work into making something so amazing and then have my cats rip it up.

I reached out to Sarah to see what she thought about the idea of including a tutorial about how to teach cats to use a scratcher instead of the furniture.

She was enthusiastic about it so included with her tutorial is my own tutorial!

Of course, every cat, human, and home is different. I've included general tips and best practices, but my tutorial isn't a one-size-fits-all solution.

If you need individual help, I'm offering a discount for those who have found me through Sarah's tutorial. We are also considering holding a group class if we get enough interest.

Check out Sarah's blog to find her tutorial on woven mending: https://www.sarahneubert.com/sarahs-blog

Cat Versus Couch? Not Anymore! July 14, 2023 Y’all know that my black cat Steve (below) is the reason I ended up creating the Woven Mending Tutorial. If it weren’t for his - ahem - creativity, I never would have thought to mend my sofa in the first place. As grateful as I am for his “inspirati...

30/06/2023

Outdoor cats can be the cause of serious behavioral issues such redirected aggression and house soiling.
I recently contributed to an article discussing how to humanely deter free-roaming kitties from your yard.

Is your garden the favorite hangout spot for local felines? Learn how to keep cats out of your yard with these tried-and-tested tactics.

28/06/2023

Calling all cat owners!

I'm working on an exciting destructive scratching project and I need your help!

Show off your cats and their scratching skills! Whether it's your cats elegantly using their scratchers or the impressive "remodeling" they've done on your furniture, I want to see those photos!

DM me or shoot an email to felidaebehavior .com with the photos you're willing to share.

07/06/2023

In addition to working one on one with clients, I regularly contribute to informational articles on cat behavior.
The most recent article looks at the behavior of bunny-kicking.

Does your cat have powerful feet? You can avoid a bunny kick from your cat by respecting their space and offering the right kind of toys.

25/02/2023

In December Minneapolis Animal Care and Control reached out to ask if I would be interested in selling gift cards that could be donated to the staff and volunteers for education that would then be used to help the animals in their care.
They are a great organization that does a lot for the community so it was a no-brainer for me!
A very generous person purchased two gift cards and tonight I had my first session with two MACC volunteers.
I was assisted by the smart and handsome Milton who helped me demonstrate how to get started with clicker training.
The hour flew by and I'm already looking forward to our next session!

03/02/2023

Working on introducing cats virtually is great because I can see what's going on with each cat in real time.

(Thanks to Jaz and Viv for letting me post this!)

16/12/2022

Minneapolis Animal Care and Control does great work for the community by caring for the stray and relinquished animals of Minneapolis.

Currently adoptions are slow and the shelter is full.

Friends of MACC are doing a holiday giving campaign and are asking people to consider supporting local animal trainers by purchasing a gift card on their behalf.

I am offering gift cards purchased through my site to this campaign.

The purchased gift card would be gifted to MACC staff to use towards a 1:1 session. The session would be a mentorship type of scenario, where the trainers would help a couple of volunteers learn more advanced skills on basic training/behavior principles. It's a way for their volunteers to fine tune their handling skills/knowledge, in a way that isn't as taxing on staff, who are stretched thin with the high shelter population we have had over the last year.

I think this is a great cause and could really help not only the animals currently in the shelter, but animals that end up there in the future!

Feel free to reach out to me directly if you have any questions.

06/12/2022

Gift cards for hourly consults are now available for purchase directly from my website.
This is a unique gift for someone thinking about getting a cat, a cat guardian who wants to learn more about their cat, or someone who might benefit from the advice of a Certified Cat Behavior Consultant.
I meet with clients exclusively online so your recipient can be in Minneapolis, Miami, Malibu or anywhere in between!

13/11/2022

In general, I find that there is so much misinformation about cats and cat behavior but this article in The Washington Post gives a comprehensive overview on why scratching is an important, natural behavior and how to teach a cat how to use a scratcher.
I'm glad they touched on the cruelty aspect of declawing. In some cases, declawing ends up causing more behavior problems than it "solves". Cats who have been declawed are more likely to end up with chronic pain which can lead to behaviors such as aggression and house soiling.
It is time to end the myth that if you have a cat, you can't have nice furniture! This is one of the easiest of the "problem behaviors" to correct!

The surprising reasons cats are destructive — and how to get them to leave your furniture alone, according to animal behavior experts.

12/11/2022

When you've got cats that can mostly get along, but also have some underlying tension, pattern games can be a really simple, but effective tool!
Today I woke Boomer up from a nap so he could help me demo how to get started with these pattern games. Just 15 min prior, he was meowing for a snack so I thought he'd be very eager, but in true cat fashion, he was no longer interested.
There is lesson there about working with your cat when they're ready, but it is also a good reminder to make sure you've always got a backup method when you need to demonstrate a task to clients!

08/11/2022

Chance is a smart boy who has taught his people to feed him or give him attention when he bites them or knocks things over.
On the table you can see that they've replaced family photos with Gatorade bottles. Nothing of value can be left out or he will knock it over!
I did a lot of play and some training with Chance, but we also had to talk about how he has trained them!

08/11/2022

If any bands out there are looking to add bells to their sound, Boomer and Impy are available. Boomer is able to handle more complex riffs while Impy is more of the unpredictable "bad boy".

08/11/2022

Joey is a handsome 1yr old orange tabby who lives with his bio mom and 5 (!) siblings. All 7 cats are under the age of three so it is understandable that their human needed some help sorting out a few issues like intercat aggression, house soiling, destructive behaviors, and a very impressive case of pica. That black piece of fabric used to be a Christmas sweatshirt until Joey got ahold of it!

08/11/2022

Impy is learning shape recognition. He gets rewarded for each time he touches the Topo Chico cap.

08/11/2022

Here's Impy's attempt at the Cat School's memory challenge.
The idea is to see how your cat thinks by dropping a treat into a cup and then pointing to an empty cup and seeing whether your cat goes right for the treat or goes to the pointer.
We tried using a target and a finger to point to the empty cup. I found that if Impy saw the treat go in the cup he ignored the target/finger. If he didn't see where the treat went, he went to the cup with the pointer/finger.
There is no right or wrong to the exercise, it just gives insight into each individual's kitty brain.

08/11/2022

Now that I have a little more free time, I'm trying to get back to daily clicker training sessions with Boomer and Impy. Even teaching them silly things like a fist bump is enriching for them and good practice for me.

I started by having them dig a kibble out of a cup. Then I put my hand over the cup and lifted it up, and finally I removed the cup.

Impy got some encouragement from Boomer during his turn. This is why I Generally suggest working with your cat's one on one.

08/11/2022

Teaching your cat to 'station' can be really helpful for all types of behaviors including door dodging and counter surfing.
When Boomer hears the cue PLACES he knows to go sit on his green blanket and stay there. He happily stays on the blanket in hopes of getting more treats.